[Immunological assessment after radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinomas pre-treated with interferon-gamma]

Twenty two patients with renal cell carcinoma subjected to radical nephrectomy were divided into 2 groups, the first group consisted of 10 patients who received pre-operative interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma administered group), and the second one consisted of 10 patients who received nephrectomy alone (non-administered group). An immunological assessment was made as to whether the pre-operative administration of IFN-gamma affects the immunocompetent cells before or after nephrectomy with reference to stage or grade of cancer, the duration of anaesthesia and in the absence or presence of a blood transfusion. Immunocompetent cells that we had checked were peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16 and CD20. These cells were examined on the day before the administration of IFN-gamma (in the case of the administered group), just before nephrectomy and on the 7th day after nephrectomy. With regard to the effects of the administration of IFN-gamma pre-operatively, there were more patients who showed an increase of CD16 in the administered group, compared with the patients who showed a decrease of CD16, and its difference was significant. On the other hand, we observed that the patients who showed an increase of CD16 were low stage and low grade predominantly, but the difference was not significant. Regarding the immunological changes after nephrectomy, there appeared to be an increase in the ratio of CD4/CD8 in the administered group, and these patients were low stage and low grade significantly. As to CD16, the tendency was similar to that observed for the ratio of CD4/CD8 in the administered group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)